Description
A cozy, weeknight-friendly skillet casserole packed with whole-wheat pasta, juicy chicken, spinach, and a silky Parmesan cream sauce—bubbly, golden, and on the table fast.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Pasta
- 6 oz whole-wheat pasta (rotini or elbows)
Vegetables & Aromatics
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (for sautéing)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 8 oz white mushrooms, sliced
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt (for vegetables)
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper (for vegetables)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Creamy Parmesan Sauce
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (for roux)
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (stir into sauce)
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt (for sauce)
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper (for sauce)
Add-Ins & Topping
- 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
- 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat and boil pasta: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Boil salted water, cook pasta to al dente, drain and set aside.
- Sauté vegetables: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Cook onion 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper; cook 4–6 minutes until tender. Stir in garlic for 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a bowl.
- Make sauce: Add remaining 1 tbsp oil to the skillet. Sprinkle in flour; whisk 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk and Dijon; cook 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Season & combine: Off heat, whisk in 1/2 cup Parmesan, remaining 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Stir in pasta, chicken, squeezed-dry spinach, and the onion-mushroom mixture until coated.
- Bake: Smooth the top, sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan, and bake 15 minutes until bubbling and lightly golden. Serve hot.
Notes
Use any short pasta shape. For extra richness, swap in half-and-half for part of the milk. Make-ahead: assemble up to 1 day ahead, cover and refrigerate; add 5–10 minutes to bake time.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Casserole, Dinner
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 580
- Sugar: 7
- Sodium: 780
- Fat: 25
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 48
- Fiber: 8
- Protein: 40
- Cholesterol: 95
